Monday, 6 June 2016

Another shot is fired in the Soda Wars of Coke and Pepsi and the new front of obesity and diabetes and sugar. New York University research confirms most of the pop music sponsorships are for unhealthy food and drink.

The research covers the last 14 years including the Billboard Hot 100 charts and teen choice magazine: 65 of 163 pop stars advertised 57 types of food and drink.

Beyonce and One Direction turning out for Pepsi for example. And the dawn of Euro2016 and Rio Olympics over the next few weeks will mark the usual rash of beer and snacks advertising – perhaps the usual promotional superstars making an early exit from the tournaments. Football or Athletics and Pop music are obvious vehicles for the big soda and fast food and snacks brands.

But surely the writing is on the wall with the diabetes epidemic, reformulation of products and even jaundice at such obvious mega-bucks sponsorship? Will it really be much longer before say chocolate brands are banned from say Athletics sponsorship? Surely nimbler brands will be well ahead of the game on sugar-free but also CSR around healthy activity and longer-tern sponsorships with niche sports? Shouldn’t Women’s Football for example benefit from mega-bucks sponsorships to help grow that game? Soda brands and marketing both need to reinvent themselves for the 21st century.